High school is a time where everyone is beginning to find their true identities. Whether it's finding a group of friends, a club, a sport, or finding a college, high school is a time full of change. Throughout this time of my life, I was lucky enough to have three special individuals that helped me through it all.

Agriculture teachers are set apart from any other teacher. If you were an ag student, then you completely understand what I'm talking about. These individuals create bonds closer to their students than any other teacher, and that's what makes them so special. Even after graduation, they are a call or text away. School related or even if you just want to update them on your most recent accomplishments, they are always there to listen.

These teachers are doing their jobs not just because they need a job, but because they have a passion for the industry, and it is important to them to teach generations to come about what means the most to them. It is most important to them to see their students succeed, and they take pride in their work when a student flourishes in the industry. These individuals work hard even after hours, helping students with not only homework, but with FFA activities, and what every agriculture student dreads most, record books.

It takes a truly special person to teach agriculture. It takes someone with the sanity to put up with high school ag students who want to ditch out on class to go uptown for food, goof off in the shop, or sit in the class and make smart comments all period. It takes a person who knows the industry, who can put complex information into words that their students can understand. It takes a person who is a hard worker. Being an agriculture teacher means that you're also an FFA Advisor, which means long nights after school and even on weekends to go to CDE's and meetings. Agriculture teachers have to sacrifice more family time for their students, which makes them some of the most respectable people I know.

The bond these teachers possess with their students is almost unexplainable. They know their students personally, are standing by their sides helping them grow, and are helping them find their place in life. If it were not for my high school agriculture teachers, I wouldn't have the passion for the industry that I love today. I wouldn't have the confidence to stand out from the crowd, and I wouldn't have the friendships that I cherish the most. Agriculture teachers aren't just teachers. They are leaders, inspirers, and most importantly, a lifelong friend.